Boise State football and running back Ashton Jeanty have three games left on the schedule. Next up are the San Jose Spartans, who hold a 6-3 record in the Mountain West Conference. With a middle-of-the-pack caliber rushing defense ranking 75th and allowing 151.2 yards per game, the Spartans will have their hands full against Jeanty. The junior runner is averaging just over 192 rushing yards per game.
With Boise State football in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff as the No. 12 team in the nation, all eyes will be watching Jeanty and the Broncos. San Jose State doesn't pose a serious threat to slow down his forward momentum. Most teams appear to be more focused on stopping Jeanty than winning the game, according to teammate Latrell Caples via Austin Nivison of CBS Sports.
“We're playing conference teams,” Caples said. “They're trying to let it hang a little bit and stop Ashton from winning the Heisman. All in all, we're trying to win the game, so we're out there winning the game by executing our fundamentals at a higher level than they are.”
Ashton Jeanty will rush for 200+ yards
Jeanty has eclipsed the 200-yard mark four times this season and twice in his last four games. With 30+ carries in his last four games, look for the 5-foot-9 back to get the ball early and often against the Spartans.
Last week, San Jose State allowed Oregon State's Anthony Hankerson to rush for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Jeanty is firmly in the mix for the Heisman Memorial Trophy. While Colorado's Travis Hunter is the favorite, Jeanty isn't far behind in most sportsbooks as the second or third favorite. With the spotlight on him every week, don't expect Boise State football to shy away from pushing their lead back.
The single-season record for rushing yards is held by none other than Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders at 2,628 yards. At Jeanty's current pace, with a likelihood of at least five games still on Boise State's schedule (three regular season, MWC championship game and one bowl game), Jeanty is on track for 2,698 yards, which would be the new record. With history within his grasp, Jeanty should absolutely go for the record as hard as he can.
Boise State football will dominate time of possession
Spearheaded by Jeanty and the hyper-efficient Maddux Madsen under center, the Broncos will possess the ball for over 35 minutes. San Jose State football ranks fifth-worst in FBS in time of possession, controlling the clock an average of 25 minutes per game.
Boise State takes a fair amount of shots downfield, as their run-oriented offense effectively uses play-action. Madsen has passed for 200 yards in all four of his last five games. The Broncos have also gotten him more involved as a runner in recent weeks, as the sophomore quarterback eclipsed 50 rushing yards twice in his last three games.
Jeanty's ability to wear down the Spartans' defense as the Broncos dominate time of possession is a big reason he will succeed in this MWC contest.
Jeanty's longest run will be 35+ yards
Not only has Jeanty been a grinder all season, he can break off a big run at any time. He's had a rush of at least 35 yards in all but one game this season.
There's a reason why the 215 lb. back is averaging 7.7 yards per carry.
Jeanty was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award on Tuesday. His 1,260 yards after contact and 90 missed tackles forced lead the country. Even his yards after contact per game (140.0) would lead FBS in rushing yards per game. The Maxwell Award is given annually to the collegiate football player of the year. The last running back to win the award was Alabama's Derrick Henry in 2015.
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